Around 50% of local government workers worry that they could be made redundant by technological innovation or Government cuts, a survey has revealed.

A skills survey of more than 38,000 public sector workers published by UNISON shows that a third (34%) believe it ‘likely’ their jobs might go in the next 36 months.

The poll found that staff in sectors hardest hit by cuts were the most pessimistic.

Half of the local government workers polled (50%) worried they could be made redundant, while more than two fifths of further and higher education employees (44%) and just under a half (49%) of utilities staff were worried about job security.

The survey did find that one in 10 public sector workers feel additional training has protected them from the threat of redundancy with more than four fifths (81%) reporting that ‘learning is important to my self-esteem’.

‘Nine years of austerity has created a culture within the public services where employers are reluctant to invest in the future,’ said UNISON head of learning Teresa Donegan.

‘It’s clear staff know what they need from training and are willing to put in the hard work to improve their chances of avoiding redundancy and securing promotion. But chronic under investment and a short term “let’s just get by” attitude from bosses is storing up problems for the future.

‘To avoid a widening public sector skills gap, government and employers need to invest in training staff at every level. It’s crucial staff can get access to lifelong learning opportunities to make sure they’ve the skills to meet the challenges of the changing workplace.’